Insects of Ojibway

Mantid Fly, Climaciella brunnea (Say). The larvae of most mantidflies are parasities of ground spiders and their eggs.

Ojibway is home to several thousand species of insects. Entomologists from the University of Guelph have been actively surveying Ojibway's insect population in recent years and they have created a preliminary list of insects on their Ontario Insects web site called Ojibway Prairie Species List

Dragonflies and damselflies include typical Carolinian species such as the Black Saddlebags, Tramea lacerata and Blue Dasher, Pachydiplax longipennis. Over 60 photos of these insects are available at Odonata of Ontario. more on dragonflies...

Although all insects are "bugs" to most people, insects belonging to the order Hemiptera include the "true" bugs of the insect world. Bugs are one of the larger insect orders with a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic species, plant feeders, predators, and even blood suckers. A few examples from Ojibway include stink bugs, seed bugs, lace bugs, ambush bugs, assasin bugs, water striders, water boatman, backswimmers and waterscorpions more true bugs (Heteroptera)...

LEAFHOPPERS: Suborder Homoptera

Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) and piglet bugs (Caliscelidae) are the most diverse group of insects that specialize in prairie, with over 200 species endemic to prairie habitats in North America. Many species are restricted solely to high quality prairie remnants. In 1994 three leafhopper species new to Canada, Limotettix elegans Hamilton, Polyamia similaris DeLong & Davidson, Flexamia areolata (Ball) and one species new to Ontario, Neohecalus majestus n. sp., were collected at Spring Garden by Andy Hamilton, Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research. Other prairie leafhoppers at Ojibway include Dorydiella kansana, Flexamia prairiana and the switchgrass leafhopper Graminella oquaka.

Forty-two species of grasshoppers, crickets and katydids have been recorded at Ojibway. Late summer nights here are filled with their songs. Many species are rarely seen but easily heard in August each year. The bright pink form of oblong-winged katydid is not often encountered. orthoptera images...

Fireflies (also called lightning bugs or glow worms) are a family of beetles best known for producing the bright flashing lights that appear over the prairie and wetlands on summer nights. Each species has its own characteristic flash pattern. more on fireflies...

Thousands of Multicoloured Asian Lady Beetles, Harmonia axyridis, were seen in Windsor and LaSalle during the fall of 2000 and 2001. This introduced beetle was first found in Ontario in 1994 but is now one of the most commonly seen "ladybugs" in our region. Homeowners should not be concerned as the beetles will disperse on their own next spring.

Many species of lady beetles have been introduced for the control of aphids and other insect pests. Unfortunately some of our native species have declined with the increase in exotic species. more lady beetles...

Lepidoptera of Ojibway, is a draft list of over 300 species of butterflies and moths recorded at Ojibway. (140Kb PDF file)

Three species of Ojibway butterflies are considered imperilled in Ontario, seven are rare to uncommon in the province and a total of 17 species are considered rare in the region. Ojibway supports populations of Giant Swallowtail, Mulberry Wing Skipper, Duke's Skipper, Little Copper, Baltimore, Cross-line Skipper and Broadwing Skipper.

Butterflies such as Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Common Sootywing, Bronze Copper, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, and Red Admiral feed on "weedy" plants as caterpillars and are commonly found in meadows and roadsides.

Delaware Skipper

Erynnis baptisiae, Wild Indigo Dusky-wing is a prairie species formerly feeding only on Wild Indigo but now starting to spread where Crown Vetch has been planted. Sedge feeders such as Black Dash, Duke's Skipper, Dion Skipper, and Mulberry Wing Skipper seldom stray from their damp sedge meadows. Regal Frittilary was a former inhabitant of Ontario prairies but now is restricted to prairies in the midwestern states. Windsor Butterfly Counts...

Over three dozen species of brightly coloured underwing moths inhabit local woodlands. more about underwings...

There has been very little work done on other groups of moths at Ojibway. One prairie moth new to Ontario was discovered at Spring Garden in 1994, Semiothisa undescribed species [ordinata of authors]. Other significant discoveries at Ojibway include several new species for Ontario and species with strong prairie affinities such as the Culver's Root Borer, Papaipema sciata.